Bail refused for Sydney 'standover' man

After Vince Battaglia's Sydney construction business collapsed he allegedly called in two "standover men" including one linked to an infamous dead gangster to recover $160,000 from the firm's lawyer.

SX Projects collapsed in 2015 and Battaglia turned on lawyer Farshad Amirbeaggi in a bid to extract compensation, documents tendered to Burwood Local Court on Wednesday claim.

When Battaglia's legal avenues were exhausted, construction industry figure Perry Condoleon allegedly arrived at Mr Amirbeaggi's office with a warning - one of Alex Taouil's "shooters" had been engaged to collect the debt.

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Condoleon allegedly told Mr Amirbeaggi Khan was a major gun supplier and had already "taken care of two people" who owed Battaglia money.

Condoleon, the documents state, offered to help the lawyer get Khan "on side" by paying him off with $30,000 - a third of which would be pocketed by Condoleon.

Mr Amirbeaggi, believing his family was at risk, contacted police as Condoleon pushed for a meeting with Khan.

The three met for lunch at an Italian restaurant in Sydney's CBD on June 28 and, according to the documents, Mr Amirbeaggi recognised Khan from a previous meeting.

Khan allegedly gestured his hand in the shape of a gun before telling the lawyer: "I was told to come and shoot you in the head."

Khan told him to pay $10,000 but on the advice of police Mr Amirbeaggi initially refused.

Yet by July 13, after multiple meetings and a flurry of text messages, the lawyer had paid the $30,000.

Condoleon, police say, was being used to convince Mr Amirbeaggi he needed to win Khan's allegiance to escape danger.

Khan has been charged with demanding property with menaces with intent to steal, driving while unlicenced and stalking or intimidating to cause fear of harm.

The 30-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Khan's defence lawyer, Omar Juweinat, told the court on Wednesday his client had been "reeled in" by Condoleon.

Mr Juweinat said Mr Amirbeaggi was a "far cry" from Harper Lee's champion of social justice Atticus Finch and likened his client's story to the film Carlito's Way where a gangster is pulled back into the criminal underworld.

Magistrate Robyn Denes noted Khan had been previously jailed and was facing trial in September on similar weapons charges.

She agreed with prosecutors the case seemed strong and denied Khan bail.

He is expected before the same court again on October 3 and Condoleon on August 16.